Friday, November 30, 2012

WWE Hall of Famer Greg “The Hammer” Valentine offered an explanation on his Facebook page for no-showing Great North Wrestling’s Randy Savage tribute show on Sept. 3 in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada after the organization paid $2,000 for his services.Here is my Official Statement on my Canada Booking. I hope this clears things up.I was booked for the Macho Man Memorial Show in Canada. That’s true. I told the promoter I was coming. That’s true. I received my deposit from the promoter. That’s true. Now let me clear some things up…A ...

Last Tuesday’s SmackDown! taping in Toledo, Ohio was one of the worst attended WWE events in years as it drew 3,200 fans, with only 1,600 paid.Following the event’s poor advance, WWE only sold tickets facing the camera so the Huntington Center would appear full on television. SLAM! Wrestling columnist Matt Bishop, who attended the event, described the venue’s appearance: “Tuesday’s tapings of WWE Smackdown, Superstars and NXT wasn’t notable because of what happened in the ring, but rather because of what was happening outside the ringside area. Or more appropriately, ...

Auburn is one of many schools in the SEC that is searching for a new college football coach. Arkansas and Tennessee are others that have sent their head coach packing and will be shopping around during the holidays for a new guy to come and save the program.

If any of the head coaching candidates are smart, they would put Auburn on the back burner at the moment and explore other options.

Consider Auburn that ex-girlfriend that is just begging to give things another try. You would love to see how things go, but you know that there is too much baggage to realistically see things ending happily ever after.

What exactly is the baggage that comes with the Tigers?

Well, the program fired head coach Gene Chizik two years after he brought the program a national championship. Yes, he likely deserved it after the horrible season that took place this year, but we are talking about a national championship. Last time I checked, crystal footballs don't make their way to Auburn every other year.

If this is the type of success that the school demands, it will scare away a few potential candidates.

Tennessee hasn't had success since 2007 and has gone through a few head coaches to try and experience that magic again. As long as the Volunteers sign the right guy, I'm sure there will be a one- or two-year period before fans begin calling for his job next. The same goes for Arkansas, which just found out what it feels like to hit rock bottom. Anything is better than what John L. Smith provided.

But if Auburn is hoping to compete for a national title every year, there aren’t many coaches that will be up to that task.

Another thing that doesn't bode well for Auburn is the fact that the school is currently under investigation by the NCAA. With potential violations that include recruits, players, coaches and others, this isn't something that a coach would just voluntarily jump into headfirst.

With Auburn, we have no idea what the NCAA has in store and the unknown is always a scary place.

Then there is the Nick Saban factor. With what he is doing in Alabama, I wouldn't want to share a division with him—let alone a state. The Crimson Tide coach is recruiting out of his mind and has a chance to reach a third national championship in four years.

This doesn’t sound like much fun for the rest of his competition.

Auburn is still able to snag a decent amount of top recruits, but having to fight off arguably the best coach of this generation is something that not too many have the heart to do. Taking your talents to Tennessee is a lot easier in the recruiting field, and it allows you to beat up on a softer SEC East. Not everybody is a Kevin Sumlin that can come in right away and compete with the best of them.

All of these teams have history and tradition. All three schools have great fanbases, terrific facilities and are being left with a bunch of talent on the roster.

Auburn would usually be a top program to take over, but there appear to be better possibilities on the table this time around.

"I'm not over that. It's not about compartmentalizing. It's about embracing all of it, accepting all of it. That moment, losing, happened once in the past six years. That moment happened to me like it was yesterday. The work I'm doing now, that's what makes me win my next fight... I don't take it and forget about it. You have to take it, let it fuel you, and make you a better fighter and person."

-UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson talks to MMAJunkie.com about the loss to Anthony Pettis that still burns in his mind and drives him forward.

Penick's Analysis: Everyone needs something to latch onto, something that can motivate them to get whatever it is they need to get in life. For Henderson right now, that WEC loss to Pettis - complete with the insult-to-injury "Showtime Kick" that will never stop being a highlight - is one of those nagging things that he can't necessarily live down, but that he can turn to a positive. By not letting that consume him, but instead drive him to improve, he's gone on a hell of a run in the UFC. He hopes to continue that next weekend at UFC on Fox 5, and if he does that, along with a Pettis win over Donald Cerrone in January, he'll likely have a chance to avenge that defeat.

[Ben Henderson art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

That's great news for the Bears. But for fantasy owners who have Forte on their squads, he's far too risky to plug into any Week 13 lineups, either as a second running back or flex option.

Ankle injuries are a tricky thing, especially for a running back. No matter how much tape you wrap it in, Forte's ankle is one play away from sending him limping back to the sidelines.

I know that, you know that and you'd better believe that the Bears know that. Michael Bush is a capable backup for Forte as Chicago tries to limit the hits that his balky ankle takes against a staunch Seahawks run defense.

That's the other part of the equation—the team Chicago is facing.

Per ESPN, Seattle is allowing only 12.9 points per game to opposing running backs—fifth lowest in the NFL, and they've allowed running backs to reach the end zone only six times all year.

Simply put, other than the fact that he's going to be on the field, there's no reason to expect Forte to contribute to your fantasy team's success this week.

Keep him on your bench where his mediocre output can't hurt your team's chances of winning.

WWE Hall of Famer Greg “The Hammer” Valentine offered an explanation on his Facebook page for no-showing Great North Wrestling’s Randy Savage tribute show on Sept. 3 in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada after the organization paid $2,000 for his services.Here is my Official Statement on my Canada Booking. I hope this clears things up.I was booked for the Macho Man Memorial Show in Canada. That’s true. I told the promoter I was coming. That’s true. I received my deposit from the promoter. That’s true. Now let me clear some things up…A ...

Louisville was on the ropes on Thursday night against Rutgers, but a turnaround in the second half stunned the crowd in Piscataway as the Cardinals went on to a 20-17 victory, capturing a BCS bowl berth in the process.

On Rutgers' first play of the game, quarterback Gary Nova hit receiver Brandon Coleman with an 85-yards touchdown pass, putting the home team up, 7-0.

Louisville responded by driving 61 yards on 11 plays in the second quarter, highlighted by some big runs by freshman Corvin Lamb, but was only able to settle for a 20-yard field goal by John Wallace.

On Rutgers' ensuing drive, Nova hooked up with Mark Harrison for a 68-yard score, taking the Scarlet Knights off to a quick 14-3 lead. It was yet another instance of poor tackling from the Louisville defense putting the Cardinals at a big-time disadvantage early on.

At that point, Nova had gone 6-of-7 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. (He threw for 157 yards on 37 attempts against Pittsburgh last week.)

Louisville, meanwhile, alternated Teddy Bridgewater and Will Stein at quarterback throughout the game. Bridgewater came into the game after breaking his left wrist against Connecticut last week.

The Cardinals struggled throughout the first half, totaling 114 passing yards on 6.0 yards per pass attempt and 44 rushing yards on 2.1 yards per carry.

But things changed in a hurry toward the end of the third quarter when Louisville scored two touchdowns in a span of 16 seconds.

First, Bridgewater hit Jeremy Wright for a 14-yard touchdown with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Then, after a Rutgers fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Bridgewater hit DeVante Parker for a 20-yard touchdown off a hitch-and-go route.

All of a sudden, Louisville was leading, 17-14, and the crowd in Piscataway fell silent.

Following a Bridgewater interception in the fourth quarter, the Scarlet Knights were able to drive 21 yards in seven plays, culminating in a 38-yard field goal by Nick Borgese to tie the game, 17-17.

But an interception by Nova in the final few minutes gave the pigskin to Louisville. Bridgewater hit Andrell Smith with a 30-yard pass on the first play of the drive and Wallace ultimately nailed a 29-yard field goal with 1:41 remaining to give the Cardinals the victory, 20-17.

Bridgewater, despite playing with a broken left wrist, finished 20-of-28 for 263 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

As the AP explains (via FoxSports.com), "Louisville (10-2, 5-2) will share this Big East title with Rutgers (9-3, 5-2), Syracuse and possibly even Cincinnati, but the BCS bid will be all theirs. The BCS standings will be used to break the tie and there is no doubt Louisville, with the best overall record in the conference, will be on top."

– Many people that have tickets to the Night of Champions PPV stated they were invited to take part in a group survey to discuss upcoming WWE Studios films. They would be paid $20 to watch scenes from a film and discuss the positives and negatives. WWE has John Cena’s Family Reunion, Edge’s Inside Out, and the horror film No One Lives on the way.– It has been reported that from August 27th through September 5th, World champion Randy Orton wrestled every day except for one that was used for ...

In what has become an alarming trend, the Arizona State Men's Basketball team started off sluggish at home on Wednesday night against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions but finished in grand fashion to reach 5-1 for the fourth time in 12 years and the fifth time in 18 seasons.

In Wednesday night's game, it was senior Carrick Felix who eventually put the Sun Devils on the board with five-straight points after the Devils missed their first five shots, four of them from three-point territory.

Felix ended the game with 21 points, his seventh 20-point game in his career and his second this season. He also finished with six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.

Arizona State managed only 27 points in the first half with Felix scoring 12 of them. The Sun Devils hit a mere 7-of-23 from the field with 3-of-12 coming from beyond the arc.

The biggest surprise was the NCAA's leading freshman scorer, Jahii Carson. Carson had only two points in the first half, off of 1-of-5 shooting from the field with 0-for-3 from three-point land. The nation's leading blocker, Jordan Bachynski had only recorded one block before the intermission.

That would all change in the second half when the Sun Devils caught fire and went on a 17-2 run with just under 10 minutes remaining.

The big stars of the second half were Jonathan Gilling with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, with 3-of-5 from long range. Felix added another nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, and Eric Gordon hit two big three-pointers as well.

Checking back on Carson and Bachynski, it seems as if they had an epiphany in the locker room at halftime. Carson, who didn't visit the free throw line in the first half was able to hit all four shots from the charity stripe and drained a three-ball as well.

Bachynski, who missed both shots he took in the first, hit 3-of-4 and more importantly, blocked five shots and grabbed four rebounds to finish with an impressive 10 points, six blocks and five rebounds.

Carson still leads all Sun Devil scorers through six games with 114 points and averages 19.0 per game. He also leads the team in assists with 33 and averages 5.5 per game. His 53 free-throw attempts and 72 field-goal attempts are also tops for the Sun Devils.

With six blocks added to Bachynski's career total, his 93 blocks has moved him into a tie for third place on the Sun Devils all-time list with Kurt Nimphius, who played from 1976-1980. Bachynski leads the team in field-goal percentage—hitting 25-of-41 for .610—and offensive rebounds with 13.

Carrick Felix leads the team in three-point percentage with 11-of-23 for .478 and steals with 14. He is second in scoring with 92 points, averaging 15.3 per game.

Jonathan Gilling leads all Sun Devils in minutes played, with a 35.7 average, and leads in free-throw percentage with .833 and total rebounds with 53, averaging 8.8 per game.

Filling out the starting rotation is Eric Gordon, who has been overshadowed by sixth man Chris Colvin through the first six games. Gordon averages 7.5 points per games compared to Colvin's 8.8. Gordon has pulled down 21 total rebounds, averaging 3.5 per game—compared to Colvin's 25 boards and 4.2 per game average. Gordon does lead Colvin in assists (14-13) and steals (11-9).

The next game up for the Sun Devils is the 5-1 Sacramento State Hornets. The Hornets are looking for their first ever 6-1 start, including big wins on the road at Central Arkansas and over the Devils' Pac-12 foe, the Utah Utes.

The Hornets are led by senior forward John Dickson, who averages 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Dylan Garrity, coming off being named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, is also contributing 15.2 points and 3.7 assists per game along with an amazing 31-of-32 from the charity stripe. The sharp-shooter also leads the team in field-goal and three-point percentages.

The Sun Devils have struggled in the the first half in three of the last four games and in the second half in two of their first three games. Coach Sendek needs to revisit the games against Florida A&M and Arkansas when they scored 40 or more points in both halves. This is the type of consistency that is needed if the Sun Devils are to compete or at least stay out of the cellar in the ultra-competitive Pac-12 Conference.

Urijah Faber has been out of action since his five round loss to Renan Barao in July, recuperating from injury and getting himself healthy. He's been cleared to return to action, and he may have his return fight set.

According to a report from Tatame.com, Faber will take on England's Vaughan Lee at UFC 156 in Las Vegas on Super Bowl weekend.

Lee has lost two of three fights in the UFC, dropping a decision to Chris Cariaso and most recently being submitted by T.J. Dillashaw in July. Sandwiched in between those losses was a submission win over Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto in Japan.

Faber's loss to Barao moved him to 2-2 in the UFC, and was his fifth straight loss in a title fight. The former WEC Welterweight Champion hasn't won a title fight since beating Jens Pulver in 2008. However, he's been undefeated in non-title competition, going 5-0 in fights without a belt on the line since his first loss to Mike Brown.

Penick's Analysis: This is a fight that only makes sense if you're trying to get Faber back into the win column in quick fashion. Lee was absolutely manhandled by T.J. Dillashaw, who fights a similar style without the same tools or effectiveness as Faber. "The California Kid" is going to be a heavy favorite into this fight, and it's a head scratching booking for his return after fighting Barao.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The lineups for TNA house shows seem to reveal two title changes that may go down at No Surrender.The lineup for the company’s September 23rd show in Springfield, Illinois lists Austin Aries as the X-Division champion and Winter as the Knockouts champion, leading to believe that they will get the belts tonight or at one of the next two Impacts.Wrestling News

Krauss returns for the first time since suffering his first career loss last May at UFC on Fox 3. The German fighter dropped a decision to John Hathaway over a year and a half after his previous bout, then suffered an injury that took him out of a return fight in September. He'll now take on Stumpf, who himself is coming off a lengthy layoff due to injury. Stumpf last fought in September of 2011, losing his UFC debut against T.J. Waldburger.

Cedenblad and Natal are both also coming off of losses into the event. Cedenblad made his UFC debut in April at UFC on Fuel 2 in Sweden, losing to Francis Carmont, snapping a seven fight winning streak. Natal had a two-fight winning streak snapped in July, losing by head kick to Andrew Craig, bringing his UFC mark to 2-2-1.

UFC on Fox 6 takes place from the United Center in Chicago, headlined by a Flyweight Championship bout between Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson and John Dodson.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

It's Thanksgiving, so today MMATorch expresses their thanks for different things in the world of MMA

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I'm thankful first and foremost to be able to cover this fantastic sport day in and day out, and to have a great group of writers to discuss and converse with on all things MMA. This is a sport that can capture you, and though there are things that can be maddening therein, there really aren't many things better than seeing an incredible fight between elite MMA fighters in the UFC.

Onto the sport itself in 2012, I'm thankful for every fighter that steps into the cage, doing what they do to give fans a show and to continue progressing what this sport can be. I'm thankful I am living through an era of the sport where we can even have a discussion about two incredible fighters in GSP and Anderson Silva facing off. I'm thankful to be able to watch fighters like Jon Jones, Junior dos Santos, Silva, GSP, Jose Aldo, and oh so many more compete in fight after fight.

We're entering another banner year for the UFC in 2013, with so much to look forward to and so many possibilities still out there for the expansion of the sport, not just with the UFC, but with Bellator moving to Spike TV as well. Though injuries have ravaged so many of the fights we could have seen this year, we've got so much still coming the rest of the year, and even more coming in 2013. It's a great time to be an MMA fan.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I'm thankful that there's a real chance we get to see Anderson Silva fight either Georges St. Pierre or Jon Jones, or possibly even both. I'm also thankful for the chance to see a lot of great fights on network television, something that wasn't possible not that long ago.

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I am thankful our sport is still growing. Since 2006, our sport has developed from "Human cock fighting" to the most exciting, legitimate sport in the world. I am also thankful I get to do what I love best, which is to continue writing for MMATorch.

BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am for being a columnist amongst such an elite group of writers here at the Torch. These are the smartest and most entertaining minds in MMA, and I am proud to be one of them. I am also thankful for Team Curran and Big Frog having helped me lose 56 pounds so far and the friends I have made in the gym. I would suck at life if I didn't say I am also thankful for local promotions like XFO who are giving very talented fighters who are still young in their careers a shot, and putting together cards that would entertain any fan of MMA. I am very thankful for the beginnings of me and my brother in law's start up show MMA:10, we have put tons of work and dedication into it's planning and now with the help of key people like Chuck Pilcher and others at Team Curran we are moving forward with our vision. Now to step outside of MMA I am thankful for my beautiful wife Jasmine, my amazing daughters Alisha and Gabrielle, my beautiful niece Elena and the best sister in law a man can ask for in Amanda, and I am also thankful for her husband who is my business partner, Manny Garcia. My in laws Bunky and Pops, brother Ritch, and my mom. The world has been a beautiful place this year, and having this family and being a columnist for the Torch is truly a dream come true.

...I am also thankful for the Bears. Go Bears.

JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I'm most thankful for the decision to end Strikeforce. The UFC put on a lot of shows in 2012 and a lot of them were very good. But there's no getting around the fact that there were quite a few duds. Even cards like UFC 154 that were saved by the main and co-main events had undercards that were just not entertaining to watch.

The UFC needs the talent and star power that a lot of Strikeforce fighters bring to the table. The addition of Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Marquardt, Jacare Souza, Rafael Cavalcante, and guys like that really make the UFC the super league that it should have become immediately after the Strikeforce purchase, roughly two years ago.

2013 is going to definitely give 2010 a run for its money in terms of big fights, and I think the Strikeforce fighters are going to be a big part of that.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

MLB free agency is in full swing, and the Mariners have already made some moves, trading for shortstop Robert Andino and re-sigining pitcher HisashiIwakuma. Not to mention the long-awaited release of Chone Figgins.

Seattle's offensive struggles are well known, and there are several sluggers GM Jack Zduriencik will be courting.

More injuries are hitting the UFC's December slate, as MMAJunkie.com reports that John Cholish has suffered a groin injury, taking him out of a bout with Yves Edwards at UFC on Fox 5 in two weeks.

The bout was put together when Edwards' UFC on FX 5 opponent, Jeremy Stephens, was incarcerated the day of the event on an outstanding warrant for assault. Edwards remained ready to fight all night as UFC President Dana White tried to get Stephens released by fight night, but it never happened.

Edwards was paid his show money, and the UFC looked to book him as soon as possible. Now, they'll be looking to get him another opponent on short notice with the loss of Cholish.

UFC on Fox 5 takes place at the KeyArena in Seattle, Wash., on Dec. 8, headlined by a Lightweight Championship fight between Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

More injuries are shaking up the UFC's December schedule, as Mike Easton now has his third scheduled opponent for UFC on Fox 5. After T.J. Dillashaw went down due to injury, Bryan Caraway stepped up for the fight, but now Caraway has suffered an injury as well.

According to a report from MMAJunkie.com, Caraway was taken out of the fight this week, and in his place steps Raphael Assuncao.

Assuncao has won two straight in the bantamweight division since dropping down from featherweight, defeating Issei Tamura and Johnny Eduardo in his last two. Easton's won eight fights in a row into this event, including three inside the Octagon.

(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)

The Heisman trophy should go to the best player in college football. Period. No matter if he is a freshman.

For a second, let's not make this a career achievement award. It is not, and it was never intended to be. Don't tell me a freshman shouldn't win it or that he'll get his chance later. No, it doesn’t work like that.

If Johnny Manziel deserves the Heisman this year, why shouldn't he get it? Because he's a redshirt freshman? That's weak. Real weak.

However, you can make the case that MantiTe'o deserves it; in fact, he may just win it. But if he does, he is going to win it because of his past four years and the story he brings.

Te'o is great off the field and a throwback linebacker on a dominant defense. He also plays for Notre Dame, which is possibly the most storied collegiate team ever. That should be good enough to steal a few votes.

Remember in the beginning of the season when no one thought the Aggies could hang in the SEC?

Enter Manziel.

How did that work out? A 10-2 record and win over then-No. 1 Alabama.

The Aggies just completed their first 10-win season since the 1998 season. Manziel broke the SEC total offense record by eclipsing 4,600 total yards on the year.

I don't think people realize how great of a season Manziel had. That's a shame.

Yes, Te'o led Notre Dame to its first undefeated season since 1988, but a defensive player hasn't won the Heisman Trophy Award since Charles Woodson did it in 1997. There's a reason why it hasn't happened since then.

Football has become a quarterback-driven league. That's just what it is, no way around it. So why do people want to give it to Te'o, a linebacker? People are acting like the quarterback isn’t the most important player on the field. And why?

Because people are afraid that #JohnnyFootball will become the next #TebowTime.

But I’ll say this: If you do think Te’o should win it, it should be because of his 103 tackles and seven interceptions, or because he's the best player on a team that will be playing for the BCS National Championship.

Not because he is a senior, or because Manziel is a freshman.

I honestly believe the Heisman voters dropped the ball not giving the award to Adrian Peterson when he was a freshman.

Voters, don’t drop the ball again this year. Vote for the player who’s been the best player this season: Johnny Manziel.

Hunter went down early in the fourth quarter. He was slow getting up and needed assistance to get off the field, as he couldn't put any pressure on his left leg. The dynamic running back may only have the "questionable" tag, but it would be surprising to see him return with the Niners leading by 10 halfway through the fourth quarter.

It's not the worst possible thing that could happen to San Francisco, but Hunter was well on his way to establishing himself as as an extremely useful cog in this offense.

Against the Saints on Sunday, he racked up 28 yards on just four carries, including an impressive 21-yard scamper down the left sideline.

On the season, the second-year pro out of Oklahoma State now has 72 rushes for 371 yards and two touchdowns. He has proven to be the perfect complement to Frank Gore, while showcasing enough talent to step up and anchor the offense if anything should happen to the starter.

With Hunter out, Brandon Jacobs, who saw his first action of the season on Sunday, steps into the backup role. Rookie LaMichael James could also see some playing time, especially if Hunter and kick returner Kyle Williams are both sidelined for an extended period of time.

We'll be sure to keep you updated as more becomes known regarding this situation.

According to Newsday, Chris Weidman is out of UFC 155 with an injury. Costa Phillipou, whose UFC 154 bout was canceled at the last minute because of opponent Nick Ring's illness, will step in to fight Tim Boetsch.Weidman is one of the top contenders ...